“It’s surprisingly easy in summer actually, with all the tourists around. But outside the season, it can be challenging, so I have a notification that alerts me to new members.” Quinn’s eyes narrowed, and she shot her an amused look. “And guess what?”
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.Riley knew she was busted, so she focused on her wine. “What?” she asked, avoiding her gaze.
“There was this superhot new woman on there who apparently lives close by. Quinn regarded her curiously and gave Riley a smile that caused a flash of arousal to shoot through her. “So obviously, I wanted to give her a like, right?”
Riley’s heart pounded.She just called me superhot.“Right.” She wasn’t sure if Quinn was flirting with her or making fun of her, but she decided to play along. “And then what?”
“Then she disappeared. She was gone, just like that.” Quinn snapped her fingers. “And I couldn’t find her anymore.”
“That’s a shame.” Riley’s cheeks were burning while her body thrummed with so many contradicting messages. Part of her wanted to escape, to just run out of there and avoid Quinn forever. But another part of her was immensely turned on by this silly game and the way Quinn looked at her.
“Yeah. It was a shame. Her name wasAster1.” Quinn dropped a dramatic pause. “Aster is an unusual name. In fact, I’m not even sure if it’s a real name, and the only association I have with it is Aster House, which happens to be located at one Aster Drive.” She tilted her head and grinned. “Also, her resemblance to you was astounding.”
“Okay, okay.” Riley leaned back, creating some distance between them, and she held up her hands. “Let’s cut the crap, you know it’s me.”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Quinn’s smirk dropped, and she shot her an apologetic look. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
“I don’t care who you tell. I’m not gay. It was a mistake,” Riley lied. “I had too much to drink when I set up my profile. It was an accident.”
“Then why did you delete it? Why not just change your sexual preference in the settings?”
“Because I panicked, okay? I panicked because all these women’s profiles appeared, and I didn’t know what to do.” Riley wasn’t going to admit she’d been snooping around Quinn’s profile.
Quinn chuckled. “Okay, fair enough. You still don’t strike me as someone who would panic at something like that, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Thank you. Now can we please talk about something other than my failed attempt at online dating?”
“Sure.” Quinn got up to check on her pasta, then added a slug of olive oil and chopped garlic into a pan. Looking over her shoulder, she gave Riley a teasing look. “But before we skip to the next subject, I need some advice fromAster1, kitchen queen and renovator. Tell me, what’s the best way to cook these clams?”
Riley rolled her eyes and laughed along. “I have no idea. I had to put something on there, and I couldn’t think of anything else. I don’t even know who I am these days and I have literally no hobbies.”
At that, Quinn stopped stirring the pan. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have made fun of you. It must be hard to start over and leave everything you’re comfortable with behind.”
“I’ll be fine. I just need some time to get used to my new life.” Riley didn’t want her embarrassing confession to dampen their night, so she painted on a smile and pointed to the pan. “How aboutyouteach me how to cook those clams? Then I can add another dish to my kitchen-queen repertoire and I won’t be a total liar if I ever sign up again.”
22
QUINN
Quinn wasn’t convinced Riley was telling the truth about her online dating disaster. She’d clearly detected some kind of mutual attraction, but if Riley wasn’t ready to admit that, she wasn’t going to push her. There were so many hints pointing in that direction, and Quinn was rarely mistaken about chemistry. There was the way Riley looked at her, her body language, and her nervous demeanor. But most importantly, she felt this zinging sensation every time their eyes locked.
“Tell me about your dating history,” she said. “If you were on that app, you must have an idea of what kind of man you’re looking for. Lindsey told me you’d been married before.”
“Yes, I was married for five years, and I got divorced when I was twenty-nine.” Riley’s gaze focused on the ceiling as she sighed. “Adam was a nice guy, and on paper, we were very suited, but I guess we both realized there wasn’t much else than that.”
“Did you love him?”
“I did. But I wasn’tinlove with him.”
“Then who was your one, big love?” Quinn asked and added, “If that’s not too personal.”
“I don’t think I’ve had a big love,” Riley said with a shrug. “If I did, I would have known, right? I haven’t dated very much. I guess I never made time for it, and hookups were always disappointing and felt like a waste of time, so I stopped dating altogether. Now that I have time, I figured I might as well try, but honestly, I have no idea what I’m looking for.” She looked up at Quinn. “What about you?”
“I can’t say I’ve had a big love either.” Quinn passed Riley the bowl of pasta, and Riley helped herself to more. Quinn was pleased that she liked her food, and she loved how Riley moaned in pleasure while she ate. “I’ve been in relationships, but it never got serious enough to move in together or plan a future. As I said, the women I hook up with are often just staying here over the season or they’re tourists passing through.”
“So you’re not a commitment-phobe?”
“No. I’m open to something serious. I just haven’t found The One yet.” Quinn had so many questions for Riley, but none of them were appropriate to ask tonight. Was she closeted? And if she was, how long had she been living like that? New York wasn’t exactly a closed-minded city, and she didn’t seem like a closed-minded person either.
